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Assistant laboratory technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an assistant laboratory technician. Assistant laboratory technicians usually study biology, business, or electrical engineering. 47% of assistant laboratory technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 3,781 real assistant laboratory technician resumes to see exactly what assistant laboratory technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for assistant laboratory technicians are the Central State University and the Central State University.

There are also many online assistant laboratory technician courses to help get the education required to be an assistant laboratory technician.

There are certain assistant laboratory technician certifications that you should consider. These assistant laboratory technician certifications include Medical Assistant and Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT).

What education do you need to become an assistant laboratory technician?

What degree do you need to be an assistant laboratory technician?

The most common degree for assistant laboratory technicians is bachelor's degree, with 47% of assistant laboratory technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 18%.
  • Bachelor's, 47%
  • Associate, 20%
  • High School Diploma, 18%
  • Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become an assistant laboratory technician?

You should major in biology to become an assistant laboratory technician. 15% of assistant laboratory technicians major in biology. Other common majors for an assistant laboratory technician include business and electrical engineering.

Most common colleges for assistant laboratory technicians

Assistant laboratory technicians often get their degrees at Central State University, Michigan State University, and Washington State University. Here are the most common colleges for assistant laboratory technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Assistant laboratory technician common collegePercentages
Central State University7.38%
Michigan State University6.71%
Washington State University6.71%
University of Phoenix6.04%
Purdue University6.04%

Best majors for assistant laboratory technicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Biology14.5%
2Business11.4%
3Electrical Engineering6.8%
4Computer Science6.3%
5General Studies5.8%

Best colleges for assistant laboratory technicians

The best colleges for assistant laboratory technicians are New York University, Purdue University, and Northwestern University.

An assistant laboratory technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for assistant laboratory technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become assistant laboratory technicians.

1. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

2. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

3. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

4. Jefferson College of Health Sciences

Roanoke, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$26,886

Enrollment

774

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

6. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

7. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo

Arecibo, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,872

Enrollment

3,553

9. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ • Private

In-state tuition

$14,974

Enrollment

35,656

10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Enrollment

4,169

20 best online courses for assistant laboratory technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant laboratory technicians

The most affordable schools for assistant laboratory technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, louisiana state university at alexandria, and purdue university.

If the best universities for assistant laboratory technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for assistant laboratory technicians.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Louisiana State University at Alexandria

Alexandria, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,668

Cost of attendance

14,488

3. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

4. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$9,233

Cost of attendance

18,110

7. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Tifton, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$3,503

Cost of attendance

12,843

8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo

Arecibo, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,872

Cost of attendance

13,476

9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

10. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for assistant laboratory technicians

The hardest universities for assistant laboratory technicians to get into are New York University, Purdue University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for assistant laboratory technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for assistant laboratory technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

2. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

5. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

6. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

60%

SAT average

1,303

7. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,318

8. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,261

9. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,269

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for assistant laboratory technicians

The easiest schools for assistant laboratory technicians to get into are AdventHealth University, midwestern state university, and washington adventist hospital.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an assistant laboratory technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for assistant laboratory technicians.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

3. Washington Adventist Hospital

Takoma Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

958

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

6. Mount Aloysius College

Cresson, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Pennsylvania State University - Hazleton

Hazleton, PA • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,046

8. University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,062

9. Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Weatherford, OK • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,085

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average assistant laboratory technician salary by education level

According to our data, assistant laboratory technicians with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $44,212 annually. Assistant laboratory technicians with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $43,319.
Assistant laboratory technician education levelAssistant laboratory technician salary
Master's Degree$44,212
High School Diploma or Less$28,341
Bachelor's Degree$41,984
Doctorate Degree$43,319
Some College/ Associate Degree$34,838

Assistant laboratory technician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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